Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-23
DIXIE PAST AND PRESENT
FIRST DINNER OF THE NEW
YORK SOUTHERN SOCIETY.

nomenal Prosperity "A Declaration
hat the South viii Take Two Strides
Toward Reconciliation for Every One
Taken by the North.
NEW YORK, Feb. 22.-The first annual
dinner of the Southern Society OF New
York was given at Hotel Brunswick to-
night, and was attended by many repre-
sentatlves. Hon. Algernon S. Sullivan
presided. His supporters were Cornelius
n. Bliss, Judge Gilmer. John G. Cal
houn, Col. George w. Maclean, Ballard
Smith, Surgeon Generals Bryant and
Wylie, DR., William A. Hammond, Rev. c.
l.. Deems, Senator NJ. G. Butler, DR.. Nor
vim Green and Comptroller VIM. Tren-
holm. The presiding officer responded to
the toast "The City of New YOrk-the
Home of Our AdOption,' as follows:
only seventeen years have lapsed since
the close of the Franco-Prussian war,
yet this very hour the world trembles at
the din OF preparations for renewed war,
aud at the prospect of these great and
neIghboring nations, IN almost savage
hate, springIng again to mutual slaugh-
ter. Let us at home ponder and rejoice
over the contrasted picture. 1t is twenty
two years since the war ended between
OnlOH anu bu6 SOuiSNleIdCHS anu We
have perfect peace.
MEMORIAL DAY.
"Under these happy auspices we meet
with the spirit and hopes of the new
South to keep our Memorial day. We
meet as the Southern Society Of New
York. We are not only in it, but we are
of it in deed and in the very spirit. We
ask our cOmpatriots to unite with US IN
appropriate tributes. We signify the
spirit which animates the society. 1t
is fellowship and thought and
sympathy with all others In
New York who would make this
city Of cities a shrine for excellence In
all things. Will they honor the nations
heroes, ''our loftier brothersr' We will
honor them TOO. VIII they make efforts
to purify politics and the public sea:
viceY We Will unite in these
efforts. Have they enterprises to en-
large commerce and Industrial acts?
We will also engage with them. VIII
they stand bY an indestructible union of
indestrucLible States In spirit OF justice
and friendship and in the name of Wash
ingtone They will ever fnd in this So
ciety faithiul,' courageous and an hon.
orable ally"
OHIO IN THE FAMILY.
Gen. Thomas Ewing, OF Ohio. said /:
'.Ohio aud her sister States of the North.
west are proud and happy to be reminded
of their kinship with Virginia" He then
traced the relationship OF the sections,
and added: whenever Virginia sits at
the head of the table, Ohio claims a seat
as one OF the family. 1 believe that,
in spite OF the infinite distresses
OF the war, the Liberation of the slaves,
the temporary overthrow W of the industrial
system OF the South and the needless
losses and humiliatiOns of RECONSTRUCT
tion, there is more OF respect and frater-
nal feeling between the South and North
to-day than ever before since the slavery
agitation began sixty-seven years ago.
"Gentlemen, the North Graves loving
and lasting peace with the South. 1t
asks no humiliatlng concession. 1t rec
ogniZes as the chief cause OF the war the
constitutional question of the right of
secession, which question, until settled
by the war, had neither a right nor a
wrong side to it. Our ferefathers simply
evaded 1t in framing the constitution, be-
lieving If it were settled either way the
union of all the thirteen States could not
be accomplished, SO they left secession
sin the lap of the gods'-committed it to
the chances of the future, and then the
war came on and settled it forever.
RIGHT OF OPINION.
SNOW the Northern people are not so
mean, tanetical or foolish as to complain
OF the South that it believed then and
believes now that it had the right side of
that question of constitutional construc-
tion. How could we respect the
that it was not sincere then,
or if it were to pretend
that the cuffs and blows of war had
changed its convictions as to the true In
depreciation OF the constitution as origi-
nally adopted? Surely with the authority
OF Jefferson and Madison in favor OF the
Southern view, and Washington and Ham,
ilton in favor of the Northern, each side
can admit at least the sincerity of the
other.
"The North, too, recognizes the
fact that all the provok-
ing causes OF the war grew out
of slavery, for the establishment of which
the North and South and England were
all responsible-if, indeed, such tremen-
dous facts as the establishment and over
throw of slavery here are not part of the
plans of the Almighty, as TO which we
are foolish to parcel out responsible
ities."
THE NEW ISSUE.
Gen. Ewing believed that the republic
had solved the problem of self-govern-
ment, but there was tremendous ques.
tion yet unsolyed which was rising
unbidden in this and every enlightened
nation. 1t was the question OF the proper
distribution of current earnings between
capital and labor. Tue means of solving
this problem IN the United States
fell chiefly with powers over the
revenue, currency, police and private
corporations. The sol1iie2swi III not be
promoted in AnlsSdaS6e least by anarch-
ial assaults onSb1bic authority, nor by
the confscation of real or personal prop
erty, nor by intimidation of individual
rights, nor, on the other hand, by police
interference with the right OF
free assemplages, nor by bands
OF hired banditti, with the
pseudonym OF detectives, por by the
stool pigeons OF corporations sitting as
Legislators, bat by the people at the ballot
box aud through the enactment of sucd
laws as Will tend to just distribution OF
the wealth which labor and capital COM
bined create. "Let us gentlemen, and all
others who have borne the heat aud
burden Of civil war. commit 1t and its
issue to the past, and join in the COM
ing generation in settling this greatest Of
Industrial questions in such a way as
shall be just to all and best for the masses
OF the people,"
A LETTER FROM HEWITT. NSE
Mayor Hewitt sent q letter of regret,
great change which had taken place in
the feelings OF the North and South to-
ward each other since his entrance into
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